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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] A Torrent of Tomatoes

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  • From: Liz <liz@allslash.org>
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] A Torrent of Tomatoes
  • Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:35:05 -0400

At 01:36 AM 8/18/2008, you wrote:

And we can't judge how much will sell at one market or the other on a given day. Some will keep till next market; some will be overripe, some won't look perfect for market. We have to avoid waste and that means being ready to dry and/or freeze on demand. All while harvesting, irrigating, and spending hours getting to and from markets up to an hour away. And at the peak of harvesting it can mean at least two busy markets a week, maybe more. We staggered the bed planting but it seems nature bats last as they say. We just hit peak production and it now looks like the last beds will be producing after markets close for the season. I'm determined to get the greenhouse closed up at night in Sept and Oct and keep it warm enough to get the last tomato possible this year. That's a homemade 15x50 with six 12 ft beds. I tie up branches with vertical supports and rafters. I did get our own starts transplanted from gallon pots into the beds in early April & May but my timing was off. Now all six beds are a nine foot high jungle pushing up on the roof plastic.

Wow, that sounds fantastic. Makes me want to get out there and cut some trees so I can have a greenhouse too. No place to put one now.


Now getting $5.00 lb I should be in a panic to sell at every market in the area. But we do have to have a life ;-) If we keep selling out the first 30 minutes of a three hour market we'll have to go to $6.00 lb. And hold down the price of the other veggies to double last year's prices.

On the other hand, $5.00 a pound for tomatoes, even heirloom varieties, is downright scary. I'm paying 25 cents a pound for "canners," the ones that are too small, too bumpy, whatever, to sell for table use. Those are going for 89 cents a pound. All locally grown, though I suspect they are not organically grown.

Next year I'll have enough of my own tomatoes that I'll be whining again about keeping up with them, but I got too late a start this year. We've eaten everything as it came off the plants.

Liz in SW VA
http://life-as-a-spectator-sport.com




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